Things Could Be Worse...
The Oilers have been pretty bad of late, but then again their farm team is even worse.
The Springfield Falcons have lost 15 straight games, 11 of them in regulation. Two more losses will put them 0-for-December; they haven't won since November 21st, and have won by more than a single goal only four times all season.
about 2 years ago
Jonathan Willis
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Poor OKC
And Oklahoma City is excited about landing this team…
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
The Dubnyk recall has been an epic fail. SF hasn’t won a game since Khabibulin went down, basically. Meanwhile, Dubnyk, who was having a very good season which can only be seen in retrospect as an outstanding season, has played in all of three games: mopping up in Vancouver (7 GA the Oilers, 3 of them on Dubnyk); one game back in SF during a break in the big club’s sked (7 GA) and then one start with the Oil against St. Loo (7 GA). Rolling 7s might be good in some “sports”, but it is not a good number to associate with a goaltender. :(
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
Well, this goaltending problem was completely unforeseen.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Yeah, let’s just sign an old guy over 35 with a history of injury and of performing well only in a contract year, to a long-term big-money deal, and back him up with unproven kids. That should work well.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 29, 2009 3:04 PM MST up reply actions
It’s not just the Dubnyk recall, though. Reddox’s disappearing act, Taylor Chorney’s miserable defensive play, injuries to Peckham and Minard as well as the loss of guys like Potulny, Stone, and Schremp have destroyed the team.
Despite those caveats, I suspect that Kevin Prendergast is going to be looking for a job this summer.
A posse ad esse.
The Copper & Blue|OilersNation|Hockey or Die!
Twitter: @JonathanWillis
Mail: jonathan.willis@live.ca
by Jonathan Willis on Dec 29, 2009 3:44 PM MST up reply actions
Hey now – don’t steal my Taylor Chorney thunder.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Is Taylor Chorney playing crappy because the team stinks, or does the team stink because Taylor Chorney is playing crappy?
Seriously, I know he bled chances when he was up here, but he didn’t look that bad. And what the hell happened to Theo Peckham? And Cody Wild? And Johan Motin? And even Bryan Young for chrissakes!
by Benjamin Massey on Dec 29, 2009 3:51 PM MST up reply actions
According to the numbers, Cody Wild continues to outplay Taylor Chorney. And it’s not close.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Peckham: injured now, plus-1 on the season
Young: ECHL
Motin: -2
Wild: -9
Chorney: -15
In fairness to Chorney, his save percentage can’t be good; by memory he’s played a lot when Dubnyk hasn’t.
That said, there isn’t any contest between him and Peckham, and a few games in the NHL doesn’t change that.
A posse ad esse.
The Copper & Blue|OilersNation|Hockey or Die!
Twitter: @JonathanWillis
Mail: jonathan.willis@live.ca
by Jonathan Willis on Dec 29, 2009 4:06 PM MST up reply actions
On paper, though, the Falcons aren’t bad defensively. Peckham, Motin, Chorney, Wild, the rest… whatever order you want to put them in, that shouldn’t be bad.
And Rob Daum can coach. We know this.
So what the hell, guys? I mean, Bryan Pitton is shit – that’s not news. Andrew Perugini being shit kinda is news but even so! What’s wrong with that team beyond things like “relying upon Ryan O’Marra”?
by Benjamin Massey on Dec 29, 2009 4:12 PM MST up reply actions
I’m guessing it’s their miserable forward corps.
Sort of like the Oilers.
A posse ad esse.
The Copper & Blue|OilersNation|Hockey or Die!
Twitter: @JonathanWillis
Mail: jonathan.willis@live.ca
by Jonathan Willis on Dec 29, 2009 4:22 PM MST up reply actions
Well, at least Nash, Vande Velde, and Eberle won’t have trouble getting minutes
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Are we talking AHL or NHL?
A posse ad esse.
The Copper & Blue|OilersNation|Hockey or Die!
Twitter: @JonathanWillis
Mail: jonathan.willis@live.ca
by Jonathan Willis on Dec 29, 2009 4:54 PM MST up reply actions
Very snarky, Mr. Willis, very snarky.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Even the forwards! Liam Reddox, Colin McDonald, the veterans like Linglet, they’re bad but they’re not the epochal, unbelievable, historical level of terribleness we’re seeing.
They should be a A- defensive team, a D offensive team, and a C goaltending team without Dubnyk, right? Does this sound fair? That’s not a fifteen-game losing streak!
by Benjamin Massey on Dec 29, 2009 5:14 PM MST up reply actions
Reddox has been in some difficulty since the injury, even in the A.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
So I’m hearing you blame the injuries, eh, Tambo?
by Benjamin Massey on Dec 29, 2009 5:44 PM MST up reply actions
Heh. No, just that you’re relying on Reddox and since the shot from MacArthur, his game is a mess.
And I saw “Minard” where you wrote McDonald. Apologies on that one.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
In fairness to Chorney, his save percentage can’t be good; by memory he’s played a lot when Dubnyk hasn’t.
Wild’s numbers aren’t nearly as bad in those same games.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Reddox did get clocked pretty good. You wonder if they shouldn’t have sat him a lot longer.
SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.
Based on his play at both levels, I think it’s a certainty that there was more wrong than we were told.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I don’t think that’s a case of “things could be worse,” I think that’s a case of “things are actually worse than they seem.” If the farm team can’t compete at the AHL level, who is in their right mind to think that there’s help coming up any time soon?
No current talent… no future talent… this Taylor Hall or Tyler Seguin better be something.
RT40 writes with An Oilers Refinery and is an avid hockey fan.
If the farm team can’t compete at the AHL level, who is in their right mind to think that there’s help coming up any time soon?
The company line is going to be “The help isn’t at the AHL level right now”
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
After last years fiasco at the AHL level in which the owner actually made a written apology to the fans, promising to get better, the answer from the Oilers organization was to promote several of their best forwards (Brule, Stone, JFJ, Potulny) and get rid of Schremp. They have also promoted their best player and goalie (DD) for half of the current season and not played him.
This has the affect of making both teams as crappy as possible. Nice moves. Seems almost like an intentional submarine of both organizations if you look at it. Moving the Falcons to Oklahoma and diving for a pick.
A few really cheap UFA signings or waiver pick ups of veteran guys to tread water on your bottom 6 would have cured this problem at both levels.
Nobody disagrees that the Oilers should sign some damned depth players those idiots.
But I think it’s hardly fair to say the Oilers are deliberately submarining the Falcons. They did get guys like Linglet, Minard, and Arsene basically as AHL cover this year. Perhaps the Oilers should have been better prepared for the injury crisis, but when it came calling up the best AHL players was the only rational response.
As for Devan Dubnyk sitting on the bench in Edmonton vs. starting in Springfield, this, too, makes sense. The farm team is subordinate to the NHL team; I think every Falcons fan can probably accept that. Far better, from the Oilers’ perspective, to have a reasonable goaltender in Dubnyk on the bench than a horrifyingly bad one like Perugini or Pitton. Dubnyk’s already had to get into a acouple of games this year. Imagine Pitton playing them instead and you’ll see the Oilers’ point.
by Benjamin Massey on Dec 29, 2009 6:13 PM MST up reply actions
Pitton or Perugini wouldn’t have done any worse than DD in his limited appearances. I am pretty sure that having a trash can in net wouldn’t have changed the outcome in mop up appearances. I don’t blame any of these players. I am a fan of DD. I hope he gets some time and turns out well.
How about the concept of a reliable veteran back up goalie after signing a 35 year old, injury prone goaltender?
Linglet, Minard, and Arsene are all AHL pro’s. I highly approve of these guys on your team with a mix of younger prospects. The problem is that the Falcons were horrible last year, so they subtracted their 3 or 4 best forwards and added these 3 guys. How is that improving your team/
I am a fan of DD. I hope he gets some time and turns out well.
This stretch is not good for him.
How about the concept of a reliable veteran back up goalie after signing a 35 year old, injury prone goaltender?
They asked the player about his health and he said he felt fine. This is completely unforeseen.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Speaking of snark …
It is the unfortunate lot of a minor league affiliate that injuries/illness to players on the big club — first liners or fourth, no matter — will ineveitably result in the loss of its best players. We used to suffer this with the Trappers all the time. It can be a source of pride when the call-up performs well (Ryan Potulny, say) and a royal piss-off when he rides big-league pine, Dubnyk being the obvious example. Add in the injuries within the Falcons — Peckham, Minard, Reddox — and it’s a shit show. Dump on Tambo & Co. all you want, I don’t see how there can be reasonable expectation of sufficient organizational depth to cover off so many players as have been taken down in the Oilers organization in 2009-10.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 29, 2009 11:57 PM MST up reply actions
I really think the reasonable expectation is completely centered around the goaltending situation.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
Fair enough. Not a Sabourin or a Leighton in sight.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Dec 30, 2009 9:45 AM MST up reply actions
If you have either of them in the A or the N, this stuff ain’t happening.
Editor of The Copper & Blue, and leader of The Cult Of Hartikainen.
I seem to remember there being a Sabourin in sight last year. In substance, too.
SNN Sports - A theoretical Oilers blog (i.e. theoretically, I write stuff there). Link now 100% less broken.
That’s why I mentioned him. As for Leighton, he passed past the Oilers spot on the waiver wire a couple weeks back with the Khabibulin situation already unfolding. Noticed him today playing well in the Winter Classic for Philly, coming off a shuout and a winning streak. Oilers respond by recalling Brian Pitton FFS.
Writer for The Copper & Blue and primary shareholder of Zorg Industries
by Bruce McCurdy on Jan 1, 2010 5:30 PM MST up reply actions
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